KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate Syllabus

COURSE: ENGT 102 Communication Skills II (2 Credits)

OBJECTIVES:

- Familiarize undergraduate students with process and skills of research, documentation

and project writings
- Orient students with critical and creative practices through interdisciplinary readings

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After the completion of the course, students will be able to:

- apply argumentative and critical skills in written and oral communications

- write and review scientific articles and conference papers
- design formal research proposals and reports
- use accepted citation and referencing systems in technical texts

DESCRIPTION:

Unit 1: Technical Communication 20 hrs.

1. Argumentation:
Argumentative presentations (written and oral): using Stephen Toulmin’s Model (claim,
ground, warrant, backing, rebuttal and modifier)
2. Proposals:
Research: concept papers
Project: project proposals
3. Reports:
Technical Papers: Conference papers; Scientific journal articles; Structure: Introduction,
Materials and Methods, Results, Analysis/Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements,
References; Reviewing technical texts
Project Reports: structure, writing process
Memo Reports: structure, writing process

Text Book:

Gerson and Gerson, Technical Writing: Process and Product. 5th ed. Delhi: Pearson Education,
2008.

References:

Relevant readings to be provided by course instructors.

Unit 2: Critical Readings 12 hrs.

Theme I: Science and Society

1. V. S. Ramchandran, “The Making of a Scientist”

2. T. H. Huxley, “We Are All Scientists”
3. Armand Denis, “The Four-Tusked Elephant”
4. Carl G. Hempel, “Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Test”

Theme 2: Human Condition

5. Jared Diamond, “Adaptive Failure: Easter’s End”

6. L. P. Devkota, “The Lunatic”
7. Anton Chekov, “Swan Song”
8. Parshu Pradhan, “The Telegram on the Table”

Theme 3: Critical Thinking

9. Pedro Antonio de Alarcόn, “The Stub-Book”

10. Somerset Maugham, “Mr. Know-All”
11. Bertrand Russell, “Keeping Errors at Bay”
12. Isaac Asimov, “What Is Intelligence Anyway?”

Text Book:

Nissani, Moti, and Shreedhar Lohani. Flax-Golden Tales. Kathmandu: Ekta Books, 2008.

References:

Relevant readings to be provided by course instructors.

EVALUATION

Evaluation Writing Other activities

Test (written/viva/listening) 10 Oral Presentations 10
Internal JOURNAL 10 Assignments 10
[40marks] Four-levels, articles,
reviews, grammar and
vocabulary practice, free
writing, case studies etc.
[Reading and Writing]
Ob. Textual 15 30 mins.
[20] Reading
End Sem. Comprehension: 5
[60 marks] Sub. Critical Readings 10 2 hrs 30 mins.
[40] Free Writing 5
Technical Writing 25